This invention relates generally to an apparatus for laterally removing a workpiece from a space having limited vertical access. More particularly, this invention relates to an apparatus for removing and replacing a workpiece such as a guide roller on an endless track vehicle or a motor on a piece of heavy machinery.
In the prior art, it is a continuing problem to remove a workpiece from a space having limited vertical access for repair or maintenance, particularly when the workpiece is heavy or awkward. In connection with vehicles of the crawler type which have endless tracks, for example, it has been a particularly time consuming process for removing and replacing one or more of the guide rollers for the endless track. As explained in U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,828, in the past it has been necessary to remove the guide rollers of such vehicles on a periodic basis for service, repair or replacement. In the past, this has been done by workmen using jacks and blocks, even if only a single roller is to be changed. In this regard, it has been necessary to separate the tracks, remove the truck frame from the vehicle, and invert the frame so that all of the rollers are disposed upwardly for removal one at a time and inspection, repair or replacement as necessary.
In the U.S. Pat. No. 4,283,828, a tool is provided to permit one man to be able to remove and replace the guide rollers in substantially less time than that required in the prior art. That device utilizes a traveling block mounted on a base which includes a pair of adjustment means, one of which includes a cradle for receiving the workpiece in a way in which the cradle and the article could travel to and from the traveling block. The other adjusting means selectively moves the traveling block upwardly and downwardly relative to the base and in the form there disclosed constitutes a manually operated screw jack.
It is an overall aim of this invention to provide an apparatus for conveniently and quickly removing a workpiece from a space having limited vertical access.
More particularly, it is an object of this invention to provide such an apparatus for quickly and efficiently removing a guide roller from an endless track vehicle so that the roller may be repaired or replaced.
It is still a further object of this invention to provide an apparatus for removing a workpiece, such as a guide roller or a motor, from a piece of machinery defining a space having limited vertical access.
These and other objects of this invention will become apparent from a review of the written description of the invention which follows and the brief description of the drawings.